Survey shows how users want more on mobiles

LONDON  Users of mobile computing and portable communications expect to access more multimedia content over time but are not prepared to pay much by way of a subscription for the right. However, when it does comes to paying more than 50 percent would like to use their mobile device as an "electronic wallet," according to a survey conducted by ABI Research on behalf of Mirics Semiconductor Ltd. (Fleet, Hampshire).

Mirics is a developer of software and silicon for receiving broadcast signals on mobile equipment.

The research was conducted among 1,000 regular users of mobile consumer electronics devices aged between 18 and 50 years old. The respondents were located in the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, split 500, 250 and 250 respectively.

The survey respondents required faster mobile access as their top priority (around 60 percent), followed by the use of the notebook, netbook or smartphone as a personal navigation device (around 40 percent). Use of a mobile device to transfer large files scored about 20 percent, while use of the mobile device as a player and receiver of audio content was in the 10 to 15 percent category, depending on geography.

About 40 percent of the survey respondents said they were not willing to pay any more for a mobile device that had all the features they required. However a significant number was prepared to pay additional sums up to $200 to get the mobile equipment that met their needs.

More than 50 percent of the respondents would like to use their mobile device as an electronic wallet to pay for retail goods and public transport services. A mobile device equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) wireless technology would support such functionality.